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Core conclusions and projections
3D printing has nowhere near the current market penetration or consumer recognition of typical 2D inkjet or laser printing. 3D printing is currently in two different yet similar markets. First, the commercial and industrial markets are seeing 3D printers in the mid stages of the growth curve of a product life-cycle graph. For example, companies are selling services based on 3D printing output. Secondly, in the consumer markets 3D printers are in both the introduction and growth phase. Consumer growth phase products are exemplified by products such as the MakerBot, an inexpensive kit that allows amateurs to build their own printer with kits ordered online. Another printer is the Form1 , a product listed on kickstarter.com. The Form1 uses advanced stereolithography (lasers) versus the traditional printed ABS plastic method to create high-resolution products. If we apply the theory of a product life-cycle curve we see that 3D printing technology in all markets still has a way to go before mass adoption takes place. Albeit difficult, it is still too early to project an exact path for this technology, but a trend is visible. Steve Jobs stated that he did not build the iPhone to fill a need, he created a need that people did not know they needed filled. While the 3D printer in all of its variations certainly fills specific needs, the quantity of new branches it creates are somewhat limitless. The first MakerBot store for consumers was recently opened to fill the need for consumer awareness and public information. The MakerBot blog has numerous projects in the public domain branching 3D printing technology into the classroom to provide an entirely new realm of services to expand into. In the long-term 3D technology will continue to grow. Perhaps more importantly it will branch to fill needs that many do not know needed to be filled. Some companies already see the rapid growth potential as prices decline and availability increases (late growth and maturity stages) by integrating DRM content protection in the digital files used to print 3D objects. By taking notes from the music industry’s history, content protection will circumvent unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted or protected information. Essentially, 3D printers are transforming the world as we know it into packets. Packetization of all objects we use on a daily basis and then “outputting” this data creates a complete product loop. Thus, the trend and projection for 3D printing technology indicates that as adoption by consumers, manufacturers, and firms increases, the possibilities are endless. New markets will flourish providing ways to purchase or obtain 3D files to print. Is it too far fetched to imagine a world in the future in which you need a new set of glasses, you pay an online fee, download the file, and print to your in home 3D printer? Take Teenage Engineering for example, they are releasing CAD files to print custom and/or spare parts for their products in home. Finally, the markets and branches 3D printing can and will follow are endless Applications in medical, biomedical, research, engineering, etc. are all arenas where 3D printing is already in use and will continue to grow. What sets 3D printing apart lies in the idea that the start of any print is a digitized packet of data. We are only limited by what we can create on a 3D software program, and the human imagination is vast and wild. The future of 3D technology will evolve, but it is certain that as more people adopt the technology the integration into our daily lives will only become stronger.